Phil Swenson—Past Board Member February 19, 2014
Tim Eaton called to talk about a project. A poster for the 10th anniversary of AIGA MN. A 200ft AIGA logo plowed on a frozen lake in the Boundry Waters of MN was the concept. My first thought was this could really be great but is it doable?
That question was partially answered when the 200ft AIGA logo had been staked out for plowing. Next the weather became a factor. We waited for about three weeks for enough snow to fall before the logo could be plowed and be legible from an aerial photo.
Once the AIGA logo was plowed (4×4 Chevy truck with 6ft plow & Bobcat for typographic refinements) we were ready for photography of the poster. Photographer Paul Shambroom took the photo that became the poster from a two person helicopter with the passenger door removed.
An elegantly simple poster resulted from a complex series of logistical details, problem solving, and some weather luck. Eaton & Associates did the heavy lifting and I am grateful to Tim Eaton for the opportunity to contribute to this project.
Contact Leadership
He started his own design studio, Oryx & Moth, doing branding, art direction and design for clients big and small. Meanwhile he was the chair of the Solopreneurs Committee for AIGA MN (2022-2023) and served on the Design Student & Alumni Board at the University of Minnesota (2010-2013). Prior to that he worked at TSG, a design agency in Robbinsdale, for clients including: Target, HealthPartners and Crate & Barrel. He's also had a short stint designing for financial institutions (PNC Bank, Citibank and BBVA Compass). He started out designing and art directing photo shoots for multiple national salon chains throughout the US and Canada. And has had mediocre hairstyles since.
His interests vary widely with the season but he always willing to chat about DIY projects, soccer, LEGO, minimalism, FIRE, AI, technology, saunas, traveling, camping, parenting, etc.